They praised my flexibility until it became permanent availability.

At first, I liked being the person everyone could rely on. I answered after hours, stepped in on weekends and solved problems that were never part of my role. The praise felt like recognition.

Then every favour became the new baseline. A delayed reply was treated like a change in attitude. Time I had once offered generously was now spoken about as if it belonged to the team.

I had to relearn that being dependable does not mean being permanently available. The first boundary felt uncomfortable because the old arrangement had been convenient for everyone except me.